Arsenal’s 2-0 victory over Manchester United on Wednesday was built on the strength of their set-piece prowess, with two goals coming from corners. Declan Rice, who played a key role in the Gunners’ set-piece strategy, praised set-piece coach Nicolas Jover for helping turn the team into one of the Premier League’s most dangerous sides from dead-ball situations.
Jurrien Timber and William Saliba were the scorers, marking the 22nd set-piece goal Arsenal has netted since the start of the 2023/24 season the highest in the league. Rice, along with Bukayo Saka, has been instrumental in delivering the perfect balls into the box, with the midfielder registering assists for seven of those goals. He revealed the secret behind his set-piece success in an interview following the win.
“When you go up for a corner, it’s a chance to score,” Rice explained. “So to score both of them from corners, Nico [Jover] will be buzzing and I’m so happy. I watch clips, learn the weight of the ball, and it’s just about repetition. I put in a few good deliveries and could’ve had a couple of assists, so it was nice to get one.”
Arsenal’s focus on exploiting set-pieces has sparked some criticism, particularly from Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim. He suggested that Arsenal’s wingers, Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, were overly eager to earn corners. However, Mikel Arteta defended his team’s tactics, stating that they were simply “exploiting weaknesses” and doing everything they can to gain an edge in the Premier League title race.
With Arsenal’s corner success continuing, it’s clear that their set-piece strategy is one of the key factors behind their impressive form this season.
